DEADLY TORNADO: Why There Were No Warnings

The cleanup continued at Krieger Collision Center Wednesday where one person was killed by flying debris during the storm.

Many people in the town are asking why tornado sirens didn’t sound when the storm was approaching.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says the storm took them by surprise, too. They say the tornado formed at the end of the storm line and started on the ground.

Usually tornados form in the middle of a storm and drop from the clouds.

By the time the tornado did appear on their radar it was too late.

“It’s much more difficult to warn for a storm when the tornado is spinning up from the ground because you just can’t see any sort of features until it’s already there,” NWS meteorologist Donna Dubberke explained.

“We followed procedure exactly to the letter it was just that the storm was unpredictable and a lot stronger I think than anyone would have guessed,” Muscatine County’s director of emergency management, Matt Shook added.

There was still a thunderstorm warning in place when that storm came through.

Officials say it’s important to be wary and watchful and to go inside when you know any kind of severe weather is on its way.